eldercare
Older but not over the hill
Written by Rebecca Lenton This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous. There’s a societal habit of associating old age with decrepitude. Because someone is elderly they automatically can’t do things for themselves. They can’t hear and see as they used to and therefore they’re considered incapable. This widely shared assumption seems to create an […]
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Bridging the distance between us
This week’s storyteller is Sally.When Sally’s parents both became ill and dependent on others, Sally resisted the pressure to turn her life upside down and go home to help. She tells us about the struggle to help from a distance and relieve the load on family who stayed nearby. At the young age of 49, […]
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Top tips for keeping the scammers out
Scamming seems to be a growth industry and the techniques that scammers use can be overt or subtle. Shân Hughes provides a roundup of advice that you can pass on to older members of the family to keep them safe both in their home and online. And she offers some pointers to getting trusted help […]
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Why we should all have dementia training
Written by Rebecca Lenton Rebecca, our social media whizz kid, recently went on a “Dementia Awareness in the Community” training programme run by local charity Alzheimer’s Dementia Support. She shares the practical tips she learnt for dealing with dementia and her new perspective on the disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Society there are over 800,000 […]
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Incoherent Codes of Practice: Energy Companies
Written by Rebecca Lenton June 2020: For the latest tips on managing energy bills and getting the best deals, visit Citizens Advice. The advice in this article is current at 08/04/2013. Energy suppliers’ codes of practice are difficult to wade through at the best of times. But when you feel that your parent isn’t receiving […]
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Forewarned is forearmed where scammers exist
Written by Kathy Lawrence We’re not here to spread scare stories, but we do hear some pretty hairy tales of how easy it is for devious characters to prey on the elderly. We start this article with just a few. David’s aunt recently downsized and for the first time in her life had nearly quarter […]
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I’m struggling with my aunt’s reliance on me as her carer
Dear Lesley My aunt had been living in Spain but after losing her husband six years ago her health has deteriorated and she wasn’t taking good care of herself. My sister and I persuaded her to return to the UK and managed to find her a little flat in a block which isn’t exactly warden-aided […]
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How your employer can retain the skills of working carers
By Kathy Lawrence We’ve come a long way in recognising the needs of parents at work. Now in an ageing population it’s time to help at those caring for elders or risk losing experienced and talented staff. Forward-thinking organisations have already started implementing policies to retain staff who care and provide ideas that we can […]
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How to successfully request flexible working hours
From June 30th this year, anyone who has been with the same employer for at least 26 weeks is legally entitled to make a written or verbal request for flexible working hours. For many who’re juggling work, family and caring commitments this is a welcome move forward. If you’re considering applying for flexible working hours […]
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How can flexible working hours help me look after my elderly parent?
As our parents get older they may start to face various health challenges. It can be difficult to fit their hospital and GP appointments into a full-time work schedule but with recent changes to flexible working legislation you can now apply to amend your contracted hours in order to help your parents without having to […]
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